April 18, 2023
Clark takes home silver with Canada at women’s worlds
At the Women’s World Hockey Championship in Brampton, Ont., Saskatoon’s Emily Clark and Team Canada came home with the silver medal after losing to the United States 6-3 in the gold medal game on Sunday.
Canada opened up the tournament with four straight wins in the round robin, including a 4-3 victory over the U.S. Then in the playoff round, they got by Sweden and Switzerland to set up a rematch with the Americans in the final. However, it was U.S. winning 6-3 to spoil Clark and Canada’s bid at a third straight gold medal. Clark finished the tournament with two assists.
More at Hockey Canada
Dunford named to Canada’s swim team
Regina’s Abby Dunford has been selected to represent Canada at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
After a strong performance at the Canadian Open Water Swimming Trials, Dunford has earned the right to represent her country at the games. In the women’s 10-kilimetre race, Dunford finished in second place behind Canadian teammate Emma Finlin. Dunford will also represent Canada at the 2023 World Aquatics Championship in Japan this summer.
Moe at Swimming Canada
Lamontagne named adaptive water ski Athlete of the Year
For the second straight year, Wawota’s Blake Lamontagne has been named the Male Adaptive Water Ski Athlete of the Year by Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada.
In 2022, Lamontagne attended nationals in Edmonton, westerns and provincials in saskatoon and the United States nationals in Kentucky, where he put up his best score of the year of over 800.
More at Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada
Truitt, Howe, Price, Catton named to Canada’s men’s U18 team
Rosetown’s Jeff Truitt will serve as Canada’s men’s hockey head coach for the upcoming 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship in Switzerland, while he will be joined by three Saskatchewan-born players competing.
Saskatoon products Berkly Catton and Caden Price, along with Prince Albert’s Tanner Howe, will wear the maple leaf at the upcoming tournament. All three players are coming off strong seasons in the Western Hockey League.
Truitt served as head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders this season after four years as assistant coach. He previously held roles with Team Canada as a video coach for the World Junior teams in 2004 and 2005 and assistant coach for Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and IIHF U18 World Championship in 2007. This will be his first time as a head coach for Hockey Canada.
The 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship goes Apr. 20-30.
More at Hockey Canada
Regina water polo athletes help Canada qualify for world championships
Several water polo athletes from Regina helped their respective team qualify for the world championships.
The Water Polo Canada Women’s and Men’s Senior National teams, featuring Regina’s Adrien Van Dyke (women’s) and Brody McKnight (men’s), recently both won the gold medal at the 2023 PanAm Aquatics Championships held last week in Bauru, Brazil. The teams are now qualified for the 2023 World Aquatics Championship, which will be held July 14-30 in Fukuoka, Japan. It will be the first qualifying competition for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Canada’s men and women also qualified for the World Aquatics 2024 Youth World Championships at the 17U level. Canada’s women’s team, featuring Regina products Sydney Krushen and Makayla Ulmer-Lutudromu, along with alternates Taya Bumpas and Anna Ulmer, helped Canada bring home the bronze medal after beating Argentina 18-7. The men’s team, featuring Regina’s Reid Tatemichi and alternate Zander Velestuk, finished in fourth place after losing to Argentina in the bronze medal game. Still, both teams qualified for youth worlds, with the location and dates to be announced.
More at Water Polo Canada
Sask. players at the WSBC U23 Men’s Softball World Cup
Four Saskatchewan softball players are competing for Team Canada at the World Baseball Softball Confederation U23 Men’s Softball World Cup in Argentina.
Saskatoon’s Jordan Hudson, Prince Albert’s Matthew Kutnikoff and Delisle’s James Shirley and Brant Weibe are part of the Canadian contingent looking to bring home gold. It will be the first-ever edition of the tournament, featuring 12 teams.
Canada is 1-2 through three days of action so far.
More at Softball Canada
Curling Canada announces format changes
Curling Canada’s national championships and Olympic trials are undergoing format changes.
The four-player Canadian Curling Trials will feature a best-of-three final. After a single round-robin draw with eight teams, the top three teams will reach the playoffs, with second place playing third in a semi-final and first place going straight to the final.
Changes are coming to the Tournament of Hearts and the Brier beginning next year as well. Curling Canada says the top two men’s and women’s teams not already qualified from this season will automatically earn a spot in next year’s Canadian championship events. The third wild-card team will be determined following the 2023-24 provincial and territorial playdowns. The modified playoff round will see the first-place team from Pool A meeting second place from Pool B, and vice versa, in the first round of the playoffs, with the winners going directly to the Page playoff 1-2 game, while the losers meet the third-place finishers in the pools. The winners of those games will advance to the Page playoff 3-4 game.
Changes and formats for the Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials are still being finalized.
More at Curling Canada